SAMUEL RINGGOLD WARD’S EXAMINATION DAY: THE EDUCATION OF A BLACK ABOLITIONIST

Abstract

This thesis examines the life of Samuel Ringgold Ward, one of the greatest orators and spokesmen for abolition in the nineteenth century. This work specifically examines how Ward’s early life and education at the New York African Free School shaped his career. Ward’s career began and advanced it through the connections he made in the African American diaspora community in New York and through the classmates he had at school. The school’s curriculum combined with the lessons imparted by his teachers had a strong influence on Ward’s work in the abolitionist movement. Ward was recognized as one of the most articulate and powerful speakers of the time. This well known elocution and skill as a speaker was taught at the school. The school’s emphasis on strict moralism and control in making African Black students ‘useful’ and ‘respectable’ is reflected in Ward’s body of work.